Reviewing past posts, I am reminded that thirty years ago in 1981, British publishers announced their choices for the top 20 (then) living British writers.  Rosemary Sutcliff was among them. At the time, the chairman of the selectors said:

In a storehouse so rich, there are far more than twenty good , even great, writers. What we have tried to do is select authors whose record of publication has provided them with critical acclaim and public recognition.

She ‘beat’ onto the list such distinguished people (who were not in the top 20) as Robert Graves (the poet and novelist),  J.B. Priestley (who had a 60-year literary career), Alan Sillitoe,  Kingsley Amis,  Muriel Spark, Dick Francis and  Daphne du Maurier. Lord Snowdon took a picture which for copyright reasons I cannot post. I must track down the original list (can anyone help?).